The Hill is reporting that senators from both parties are hoping to reach agreement on a long-term highway bill before the July 31 deadline. Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an extension of highway funding into mid-December, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has set up a Tuesday vote for a long-term measure, according to the publication.
The Hill reports, “Senators were even still talking up the idea that they could finish off a $275 billion, six-year deal before the looming July 31 deadline, even as most acknowledged that any final product would likely be quite a bit shorter.”
At that dollar figure, the bill would provide less money for transportation infrastructure than the last long-term bill, SAFETY-LU, which expired in 2009.
The Hill says that while senators were talking up the chances of a long-term measure, a five-month deal still might be the best Congress can do before leaving for August recess. Another such short-term extension could mean that any hopes for a long-term bill would have to wait until after 2016 election-year politics.
The biggest roadblock for a long-term bill has been disagreement in Congress on how such a measure would be funded.
